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' P. L. AHERN. ABICYCLE SKIRT. No. 566,369. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

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FLORENCE LOUISE AHERN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THESPALDING-BIDWELL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-SKIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,369, dated August25, 1896. Application filed January 31, 1896. Serial No. 577,556. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, FLORENCE LOUISE AHERN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Habits, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying; drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to the construction of riding-habits for ladies,with especial reference to their adaptation for bicycle-riding, and theobject in view is the production of a skirt or habit which shall not inany way be liable to interfere with the free movements of the wearerwhile riding or in mounting or dismounting and shall hang gracefullywhen the wearer is standing or walking, presenting as nearly as possiblethe appearance of an ordinary skirt.

The improved habit is essentially a combination-garment, comprising bothtrousers and a divided skirt; and the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction which contribute to the attainment of theimproved result.

The habit will be fully described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings, and the novel features will also be particularlypointed out.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation in perspective of theimproved habit. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation in perspective of the same.Fig. 3 is aview corresponding to Fig. l, with the skirt partly opened toshow certain features of construction. Figs. 4. and 5 are diagrammaticsections on the lines 4. 4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. l.

The several parts of the habit are secured to and supported by a commonwaistband A, which is adapted to be secured about the person of thewearer in the ordinary manner. To the waistband are fastened thetrousers or knickerbockers B B, which may be constructed in any ordinaryor suitable manner, preferably being drawn closely below the knee by anelastic band inserted in a casin g formed at the lower edge, thisinvention not being directly concerned with the particular constructionthereof. y

The skirt of the habit is formed in two parts O C, which are entirelyindependent the one of the other, except so far as they are attached tothe waistband A and to the trousers B B. Each portion C of the skirt issecurely fastened to the waistband A from the middle front point cl, tothe middle rear point a', and both portions are secured together to thetrousers at the seat-seam a2, or from the point a to the point a3. Belowthe point as each portion of the skirt is attached to the respectivetrousers-leg at the inside leg-seam b. In front each portion of theskirt is free at its edge from the point a to a point b on the innerleg-seam b at some distance below the point a3, before referred to, andfrom the point o each portion C is secured to the inner leg-seam down toor near the lower end thereof. Each portion O of the skirt is folded ona line from the front middle point a at the top of the skirt to a frontmiddle point 0,4 at the bottom edge of the skirt, and is likewise foldedon a line from the rear middle point o at the top of the skirt to therear middle point a5 at the bottom of the skirt, and from the line a o4to the line o a5 each portion O hangs like the half of an ordinary plainskirt, and in use, when the wearer is standing or walking, the frontfolds d d4 hang together in a manner to present substantially theappearance of an ordinary skirt in front and to conceal the fact thatthe skirt is divided, as do likewise the rear folds a a5.

The front of each portion O of the skirt is plaited vertically before itis secured to the waistband, but such plaits, as represented at '0, arewholly within the line a o4 on each side and are covered and concealed,when the wearer is standing or walking, by the plain smooth exterior ofthe skirt. Likewise each portion O is formed at the rear with a seriesof plaits c', which are formed wholly between the line a' d5 and theline a2 b and are covered and concealed by the plain smooth exterior ofthe skirt at the rear.

The plaits c c and c e' give the necessary fulness to each skirt portionto prevent interference with the movements of the wearer and also toenable the exterior to hang properly. The attachment of each skirtportion at both the front and rear edges thereof to the leg-seam b ofthe corresponding leg of IOO the trousers maintains each skirt portionin proper relative position with respect to the trousers-leg, While byreason of the vertical plaits c c and c c' the movements of the wearerare permitted without throwing open the skirt at the front or rear in amanner to disclose the fact that it is divided. The fact that the frontedges of the respective skirt portions are free from the trousers fromthe point ato the point b/ permits the skirt to hang with the properamount of fullness in front when the garment is in use, obviates anaccumulation of several thicknesses of fabric at a point where it wouldcause inconvenienoe to the wearer, and permits the skirt to be handledmore readily in putting it on or oft.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A bicycle-habit comprising trousers, a divided skirt and a commonwaistband, the portions of the skirt being wholly independent, the oneof the other, and having the front and rear edges of each portionsecured to the inner leg-seam of thecorresponding trousersleg and eachportion being folded at front and rear on a line from the middle pointat the top to the middle point at the bottom of the skirt and beingplaited in front and in rear between such fold andthe line of attachmentto the inner leg-seam, substantially as shown and described.

2. A bicycle-habit comprising trousers, a divided skirt and a commonwaistband, the portions of the skirt being wholly independent, the oneof the other, and having the front and rear edges of each portionsecured to the inner leg-seam of the corresponding trousersleg and eachportion being folded at front and rear on a line from the middle pointat the top to the middle point at the bottom of the skirt and beingplaited in front and in rear between such fold andthe line of attachmentto the inner leg-seam, and the upper part of the front edge of eachskirt portion being free from the trousers from the Waistband to a pointon the inner leg-seam of the corresponding trousers-leg, substantiallyas shown and described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 27th day of January, A. D.1896.

FLORENCE LOUISE AHERN.

In presence of- A. N. JESBERA, II. B. GURLEY.

